Oct 26. Shut Down the War Machine

[Never Give In]

Pretty sure this question will end being answered by CompaneroDeLibertad, the SDWM guy 'round here. Anyway,

Shut Down the War Machine. No School, No Work, No Shopping. Basically a boycott. Last time, I think Mar. 19, it recieved little to no recognition by the right wing or by the media, from what I know of. Shut down the War Machine doesn't have many myspace friends, for a nationwide event anyway, I think 500something.

Does anybody know the benefits or changes this actually made? I think it's a great idea and I participated last time and I will this time, but i'd like to know if it's enough.

[Dominicana_1965]

There was very little exposure on the media. I don't even think there was coverage on the independent media. Besides that nationally various individuals were putting up stickers & passing out leaflets for the boycott. People from various regions are asking for a form of distribution as we speak.
October 1st will most likely be much more bigger than the March boycott.

It will soon have a "Sconex" page so the youth can know & maybe show interest in distributing for it.

[Never Give In]

Originally posted by [email protected] 04, 2007 03:52 pm
There was very little exposure on the media. I don't even think there was coverage on the independent media. Besides that nationally various individuals were putting up stickers & passing out leaflets for the boycott. People from various regions are asking for a form of distribution as we speak.
October 1st will most likely be much more bigger than the March boycott.

It will soon have a "Sconex" page so the youth can know & maybe show interest in distributing for it.
That's good. As long as we carry on with the boycotts regularly they will soon gain popularity and perhaps make a serious change.

Gotta stay optimistic, I guess.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Well the M19 didn't have a lot behind it, to be honest.

This article (http://freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?335) covers it..


The campaign originated in 2006, with a similar aim, organized around March 19, 2007. The campaign did reach a number of people in several locations, and set the groundwork for the current expansion of the campaign, which plans to bring in hundreds of new organizers and tens of thousands of participants. Current organizers are reaching out to huge numbers of organizations and individuals, especially unionized workers and musicians, writers, etc., with cultural influence to seek their endorsements and participation.

The campaign’s organizers have altered their strategies a bit since the last time around. In March, they called on people to stay home, but on October 1, they are planning pickets in as many cities and towns as possible. So far, pickets are scheduled in New York City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Hartford and as far as Denmark. Before long, the campaign plans to have pickets scheduled in several other cities including, but not at all limited to Dallas, East Haddam, Orlando and San Diego. Volunteer organizers are sought to plan pickets in their own locations, all of which will be heavily promoted by the campaign.

So now, there will be: (1) a big increase in the number of organizers, (2) pickets across the country, (3) an increase in materials and advertising, (4) "Contingents, carrying banners and thousands of leaflets and stickers will set up tables and demonstrate to promote the Shut Down The War Machine campaign at the two anti-war protests scheduled in Washington, D.C., on September 15 and 29."

Keep checking http://www.october1.org for updates, if there's not a picket scheduled in your area schedule one, email for leaflets, stickers, post cards, etc., get the word out to everyone you know, raise funds so the campaign can be publicized on radio, television and the internet!

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

http://mpi-web.net/sdtwm/sdtwmSMALL.jpg

[indigenous-redfeminist]

i went to this one last year but it was october 5th and it was done by the WCW campaign but it was pretty much the same thing thats going on in that oct.1 one wiht the boycotting etc.. i mean ive siad this before IM TIRED OF PROTESING! its time for civil disobedince and fucking direct action! fuck the media dont give a shit the FUCKING BOUGIOU! DONT GIVE A FUcK! there laghing at us! the anti-war movement is a joke now! 60% americans disagree with the war but they dont do shit about it? wtf?

-ultraviolence

[Bilan]

CDL, do you know if one of these has been organized in Australia?


~
Indigenous-redfeminist, your name owns :P

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

WCW was aimed at impeaching or somehow 'forcing from office' the 'Bush Regime'.

SDTWM is about organizing a national strike against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are many more differences than similarities.

As you may know by now, the date has been moved to October 26, to coincide with similar actions being called by Workers Against War and the SDS, respectively.

Right now, the campaign is trying to raise 3,000 dollars, a modest figure which will help it become truly national (there's info on the website about, explains all that can be bought for 3,000$, including tens of thousands of postcards, leaflets, stickers, etc.).

You should do what you can to help, donate what you can (even if it's $3), organize a picket in your area, etc.

Publicize this new video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs4Luqj5GTo

Check out the website for more: http://www.october26.org

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I don't know of anything being organized in Australia as of now.. but that doesn't mean there isn't anything. For M19, I think there was a small protest or walkout organized at a Uni.

[RNK]

Although that criticism was a little... rough on the edges... indigenous-redfeminist has a point that I mostly agree with. While mass movements are completely necessary, I fear that they have all but replaced mass insurrection and civil disobedience.

I don't think these types of actions actually do anything to so much as scratch the paint on the "machine"; but I'll support it nonetheless.

[Saint Street Revolution]

Would a mod be able to change the name of this thread to Oct. 26 Shut Down The War Machine?

Date's been changed.

[Saint Street Revolution]

Originally posted by indigenous-[email protected] 12, 2007 08:30 pm
i went to this one last year but it was october 5th and it was done by the WCW campaign but it was pretty much the same thing thats going on in that oct.1 one wiht the boycotting etc.. i mean ive siad this before IM TIRED OF PROTESING! its time for civil disobedince and fucking direct action! fuck the media dont give a shit the FUCKING BOUGIOU! DONT GIVE A FUcK! there laghing at us! the anti-war movement is a joke now! 60% americans disagree with the war but they dont do shit about it? wtf?

-ultraviolence
Boycotting...is....Direct Action.

It's an extremely effective form of protest.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

While mass movements are completely necessary, I fear that they have all but replaced mass insurrection and civil disobedience.

So, how would you classify a general strike against war?

[Volderbeek]

I hate to burst all of you guys' bubbles, but is a one-day protest really going to do anything? We already have similar events many times a year; they're called holidays...

[RNK]

So, how would you classify a general strike against war?

It depends on how far the strike goes. At this point, such action would be negligable in its effects as only a small number of people will even observe it. And therein lies the problem, as I do not believe that there is a correct theoretical strategy behind these moves and thus little potential for it spreading throughout the people. I don't even believe the WCW will accomplish anything.

[Axel1917]

Originally posted by [email protected] 31, 2007 04:30 am
I hate to burst all of you guys' bubbles, but is a one-day protest really going to do anything? We already have similar events many times a year; they're called holidays...
A boycott won't accomplish anything because people will still need to buy the stuff and just get it the next day.

It would be nice to see a general strike, but the fact is that the consciousness for that simply is not here. We need to do more work with the working class. The whole "Shut Down the War Machine" Oct. 26th event is destined to fail.

[Ultra-Violence]

Boycotting...is....Direct Action.

good point but boycotting doesnt do shit when its a cuople of thousand people
dont get me wrong last year i didnt buy shit i ditched school etc..for what? one day? all of these protest are nothing but rallys now and nothing is getting done we got to step it up!

[kracken]

i dont think it would be a failure as such. wouldnt stop the war, but it would raise awareness of the situation. Even if only one person listens and benefits its worth it

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Right, and it can build steam towards another, larger event, if done correctly. Even demonstrating to workers the ability of working people to take industrial action for political reasons can have a lot of value.


good point but boycotting doesnt do shit when its a cuople of thousand people
dont get me wrong last year i didnt buy shit i ditched school etc..for what? one day? all of these protest are nothing but rallys now and nothing is getting done we got to step it up!


I hate to burst all of you guys' bubbles, but is a one-day protest really going to do anything? We already have similar events many times a year; they're called holidays...

I guess the folks saying this sort of thing really don't understand the difference between this campaign, and say, the 'peaceful marches' scheduled for the 15 and 29 of this month in September.

The Open Letter to the People of the United States (http://www.mpi-web.net/sdtwm/page.php?2) makes clear the need for this campaign: "[The War Machine] cannot function without its most important part – the people who, often unknowingly, keep it going, such as the workers who design and construct the weapons and machinery, the workers who load and unload them onto trucks, the truck drivers and ship and train engineers who transport them, the workers who fund the process through the taxes they pay, the families who raise the children who become soldiers, the educators who teach those children the basic skills they need in life – all working people, who collectively keep the economy afloat through our labor."

...

"Although pickets and demonstrations will be a part of this day, the last few years have shown us that they alone aren’t enough. We need to cooperate to get this call out to people in every single part of the U.S., from cab drivers in New York to farm workers in California. It will take a serious and dedicated effort, but this is something that needs to be done. Collectively, we have the ability to literally shut down the war machine, by simply refusing to contribute to it in any way."

That's entirely different than telling people to 'come to Washington to influence politicians' or show 'people's power.' This is a call for united, working class action not to influence anyone, but to bring the imperialists' terror campaigns to an end, against their will.

Yeah, of course, if you just you yourself take off a day or work or school, it won't have any measurable effect. The point is to organize fellow workers around this day. If you can get even a dozen people in your workplace or small area to understand their power as workers, you've made a lot of progress. If we can get hundreds of people to do the same, the effect will be that much larger.


It would be nice to see a general strike, but the fact is that the consciousness for that simply is not here. We need to do more work with the working class. The whole "Shut Down the War Machine" Oct. 26th event is destined to fail.

Except that this is 'doing work with the working class.' What you really mean here is what 'communists' have been saying since the 30's... just keep waiting until some indefinite point in the future, and then it will be time to actually do something. For now, we just have to wait. Of course this mechanical view ignores the role of humans as a force capable of changing history, not just passive spectators.


It depends on how far the strike goes. At this point, such action would be negligable in its effects as only a small number of people will even observe it.

I wasn't asking how successful you personally thought this campaign would be. I was asking how you would classify a general strike. Is it a "mass movement," "mass insurrection" or "civil disobedience."


And therein lies the problem, as I do not believe that there is a correct theoretical strategy behind these moves and thus little potential for it spreading throughout the people.

There are several hundred organizers already, so it has spread through 'the people' a bit. Of course that number can be greatly increased with an increase in organizing and funds for materials to do that with.


I don't even believe the WCW will accomplish anything.

Well we agree on something.

Still, I hope you see the different between calling for impeachment of a president and calling for a strike against imperialist war.

[Axel1917]

Except that this is 'doing work with the working class.' What you really mean here is what 'communists' have been saying since the 30's... just keep waiting until some indefinite point in the future, and then it will be time to actually do something. For now, we just have to wait. Of course this mechanical view ignores the role of humans as a force capable of changing history, not just passive spectators.

How am I doing as such? Some small-time thing like this is not really working with the bulk of workers and anti-war people, now is it? I personally think that work in the ANSWER coalition is far more promising at this point (which is a united front, not a popular front.), as it is where the bulk of the working class is going to move through for anti-war events (Washington has been fining this group for its call for a united anti-war movement. Clearly the bourgeoisie are afraid of this, and not this "Shut Down the War Machine" movement that is destined to fail.).

This "Shut Down the War Machine" is so nonsensical and destined to fail that I would not be surprised if some anarcho-syndicalist sect came up with the idea!

[Ultra-Violence]

Look man im not wating for this war to be over im just tired of the same bullshit and seeing the same faces at every dam protest for the past cuople of years Look i hope all goes well with the Oct.26 thing But we got to step it up! fuck look at the 60's and shit they surrounded the FUCKING PENTAGON! they blocked trains etc..chicago 68' man 60% of fucking americans dissagree with this peice of shit war but out of those 60% only about a good 20% actualy try to do something. People over here dont get it thru thier fucking thick skulls that people are fucking dying! CHILDREN ARE BEING FUCKING MURDERD! and have been for a while in iraq( more than a decade) and they go home turn on the television and they look at it and go "oh how sad" and fucking eat their god dam t.v dinner and watch monday night football!

srry for my rant

but i had to get this off my chest :angry: